Four Iraqis were killed and four children wounded during a US operation in the central Iraqi village of Gazwan overnight.
Mr Jamal Ali, a lawyer, said that US forces fired on the village, which lies about 50 miles west of Baghdad, for around two hours.
"Four people were killed, a man, two women and a two-year-old child. Four other children were injured," he said.
Mr Ali said livestock were also killed, three cars were wrecked and houses damaged in the fighting, which began at about 1.30 a.m. (10.30 p.m. Irish time). He said the army later entered the village, searched all the houses and arrested 14 people.
A reporter witnessed the burial of the four early Thursday.
It was unclear how the fighting began. US military officials said they were looking into the report.